An iconic picture of a young man sliding on the streets of Nairobi CBD as a water cannon sprayed him during the anti-tax protests has captured the moment's essence.
"As long as I'm alive, I'm okay," declared the heroic Gen Z protestor who garnered national attention in the first week of the protests.
His name is Abdul Khalifa, and Kenyans admired his bravery as the water cannon spray did not deter him. He also lost a shoe in the process.
In an interview with Kenya Online Media, Abdul recounted the incident. He had attended the protest with his sister, who was nearly injured by a tear gas canister.
A police officer had lobbed the canister at their group, and it hit her shoulder.
This enraged Abdul, and he lost his temper. His sister received treatment and was recuperating. "Out of rage, I said to myself, 'Abdul, this cannot go unchallenged,' and my anger drove me to the frontline," he said, recalling how he shouted at the police, questioning their violent actions.
A police officer gestured at him, and Abdul thought, "I was just thinking about my sister, like no, no, no. You cannot harm my sister like that."
Despite being hit by the water from the truck, Abdul remained defiant. "As long as I'm alive, I'm okay. I was hit twice; at first, I fell and slid, then I got up and shouted, 'Reject, Ruto must go,' and was hit again."
He also mentioned a girl named Wanjiku Stephens who fell during the chaos. "We picked her up and urged her not to give up," he recalled.
Abdul shared that his mother is proud of him for standing up for Kenyans and being on the front line. He reassured everyone fascinated by his experience that he is not afraid.
"I only fear God. We will stand up again and again. I even told my grandma that we have God with us and she should not be afraid."
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